


Not Without You

by prettyface_lonelyheart



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Medieval, F/M, Fluff, Medieval AU with Modern Elements, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-12-09 02:30:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11659770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettyface_lonelyheart/pseuds/prettyface_lonelyheart
Summary: A servant's thoughts as Prince Darrell "Shifty" Powers becomes king and finds his queen.





	Not Without You

**Author's Note:**

> I know this sucks and it isn't my best work, in my opinion. It's mostly rambling and it's rushed, but I hope you like it anyway!

As much as I'd prepared myself for this day, it was as if I'd only come to the realization today: Prince Darrell was the next heir to the throne. Not only that, but he was to meet four princesses from nearby kingdoms, who will be the next queen of Clinchcinia.

I've worked for the Powers family for several years and have become familiar with the passing down of the crown. Since Darrell had two older brothers, they have served their terms as kings. As the practice goes, they learned their new responsibilities, took extensive lessons covering the history of the kingdom, and attended parties with various noblemen and women to establish stronger trade relations.

It wasn't so much a problem when they made this transition. I even had the privilege of being part of the staff who prepared these extravagant events when the second oldest, Bartholomew succeeded the one before him, Timothy. It was just another task that came with the job of being a servant to the royal family, much like scrubbing the tiles and setting the table for each meal. No, the job wasn't too stressful as they were very much kind and respectful to everyone no matter their status. They treated the staff especially with much consideration of their feelings and needs, allowing ill workers to take time off and providing us with hospitable quarters.

So what was the problem?

Unfortunately, not everyone of the Powers' class were as friendly. What came with lavish festivities and special feasts brought the princesses, kings, queens, and the like. To describe the relationship between the staff and these noblemen and women would be indifference at best. There's always room for those who don't take too well to our errors, such as a duke who had gone red in the face when a server was setting a meal down in front of him, only for a green pea to slide off the plate. The pea was mere inches away from getting on his uniform, which prompted him to throw some insults at her, ranging from how careless she was to how she was spitting on his family name, as the vegetable had almost landed on the crest of his jacket. Needless to say, when one takes a champagne flute from our tray and turns right back to their conversation without so much of a thank you, we consider it a blessing.

(I would like to add that, after the dinner with the duke, Queen Eleanor Powers spoke with the server, named Shirley, consoling the poor old woman who was in tears after the encounter. We haven't seen that duke since.)

However, since coronations occurred every two years or so, these special occasions were bearable at most. The real problem lay in the reality that I was now faced with: the one whom I've loved for a majority of the time I had worked in the castle, was set to be married to a woman who was not going to be me.

I understand the irony of it all, too. With someone who was sweet, soft-spoken, and handsome, I simply couldn't avoid developing feelings for Prince Darrell. His friends called him "Shifty" and that in itself is something I find endearing. He'd gotten the nickname from the way he'd move on a basketball court. One of his closest friends, Prince Wayne of Herndonia, told me about it once when I'd served them drinks after they'd played a few games.

The first month or so that I had taken up the part of a servant for the family, "Shifty" was very shy and rarely spoke to me, with the exception of a polite smile and some "please" and "thank you" with his requests. He also had a knack for calling me "miss". Even after we'd started talking more and forming a friendship, it took a while for him to call me by my first name. I can imagine the ones working before me had the same thing happen.

I immediately found something familiar in him. Perhaps it was our shared preference of being alone rather than spending a lot of time with a dozen others. Maybe because we liked to watch the stars sparkle at night across the midnight blue canvas of a sky.

I'll admit, it wasn't much, considering there were also things we didn't have it common that seemed to outweigh our similarities. One such difference was his love for being outdoors. Refusing to be confined in the castle walls, he enjoyed everything from fishing and hiking to basketball and archery. I, on the other hand, was not accustomed to nature nor was I particularly athletic. The most glaringly obvious one was our contrasting social classes.

It wasn't as if he would ever choose me over dozens of gorgeous, confident, and talented young women. Not when I look the way I do, at least. I don't possess the figure much desired by men, nor do I have any remarkable features. I was also covered in scars from some incidents due to my lack of gracefulness and some that were far from accidents.

A princess is who Prince Darrell is meant to be with. There's no place for a maid whose only use is to scrub the floors and—

"Y/F/N?"

I snapped out of my carousel of thoughts and feelings.

"Oh my God, there you are!" Louise came closer to where I sat, holding a bunch of cloth napkins. "Charlotte already did the centerpieces and Marie finished the desserts. Here!"

With that, she tossed half the napkins onto my lap, right on top of my apron. I gathered them in my arms and followed her to the dining hall.

"That apron _is_ clean, right?" she asked without looking back. "Because if I have to put them back in the wash bucket, Alice is going to have a fit!"

Alice is the one that coordinates our duties. The Powers' give her a list of all the things that need to be done and then she assigns each member of the staff, sometimes with one other person, to a task that must be completed within a certain time frame. While the royal family is forgiving though, Alice is not.

“Yes, it is,” I replied and put a napkin over each plate, going down one side of the table while Louise did the opposite one. Once I had the last napkin in my hands, I folded it into the shape of a crown, placing it right on the middle of the dish. I repeated this with all of them, moving up the rows of seats again until I ended up at the chair I started with.

"Okay, I think everything's in order," Louise took a deep breath and surveyed the long table covered in a red tablecloth.

"Yep. Everything," I nodded and stretched my mouth into a thin line.

"I know this is hard for you, but I think you've been taking it pretty well," she turned to me and gave my arm a light rub.

"Mhm... 'well'..." I agreed, knowing full well that that was a lie on the inside.

—

Out of the three suitresses he was presented with, the final one seemed the most compatible.

Each candidate for queen basically had a week-long date with the Prince, complete with boarding and accommodations. I myself didn't agree with this practice, as you couldn't determine who you marry in such a narrow time frame, but of course, I had no say in the matter. I had brought up the question with Bartholomew, who at the time was in the process of taking the throne. He'd informed me that the law was an age-old belief that you needn't more than first impressions to see who your soulmate is.

The first two queens-to-be were quite cold and rude to the staff. Princess Elizabeth claimed the tailors did an inadequate job on a dress she had commissioned when one of the sleeves had somehow ripped despite the tailors' experience and use for several stitches to avoid such incidents. She had claimed it happened upon her stroll through the rose garden, where the fabric tore after getting caught on a thorn. A gardener later came forward, stating she had looked at the dress in disgust and possessed a small scissor with which she damaged it herself.

Princess Annabelle had little to no affect on anything. She simply replied with short hums or a few phrases such as "okay" and "yes, of course". We learned fairly quickly that she does not move nor wait for anyone. If you bumped into her in the hall, she rolls her eyes, scoffs, and keeps walking. During a date with the prince, she had purchased a large amphora which the accompanying servant was lugging around. Prince Darrell wanted to give him a break as carrying the large vase was clearly exhausting, but Annabelle had simply dragged Darrell along.

It wasn't until we were acquainted with Princess Rosemary that we had started to breathe easy.

She was perfect in every sense of the word, not because she did nothing wrong, but because she acknowledged when she did and strived to better herself. She was outgoing and bubbly, learned and used each staff member's name and even chatted with them while they worked. She dabbled in performing arts and would even practice a monologue or dance for us. She even went as far as to make sure we had enough blankets for the colder nights and bought a gift for one of the maid's daughters on her birthday.

I myself had taken a liking to Princess Rosemary. She was like a close friend who couldn't care less if she was a princess or a beggar: she believed everyone is defined by their attitude and treatment of those around them, especially to the less fortunate. That in itself was very admirable to me.

Prince Darrell undoubtedly fell for her. You could see it in his eyes, the way he looks at her. Hints of pink tinted his cheeks when she held his hands or gave him a sweet, modest kiss. It was a bittersweet moment, really.

I love him and I want him to be happy. Though I would prefer if it was with me, I couldn't have asked for a better person to hold his heart than Rose.

Before I knew it, the wedding ceremony was approaching.

In a sudden turn of events, around 3 days leading up to the special occasion, Louise informed me that the prince had wanted to see me in his quarters.

I knocked on the door and heard his gentle "c-come in".

Upon entering the room, he looked behind him, immediately got up and took me in his arms.

"You, um, asked to speak with me, Your Highness?" I awkwardly spoke once he released me from his hold.

He held my hands and, looking right into my eyes, he blurted out. "I don't think I can do this."

A dumbfounded expression came about me. On the inside, I was dying. He was holding _my_ hands and by the creases on his forehead, he needed help. But why me?

"Y/F/N, I love you!"

"Your Highness..."

"I love you. I always have. I need you. I can't live without you. You know me better than anyone ever could. Even Rosemary," he looked at me desperately.

I was in tears. This had to be a dream.

"But Your Highness, I can't be—"

"Why not? You're beautiful, you're kind, you're smart, you're talented... I... I want to marry you."

"B-But what about the throne?" I finally asked.

"I don't want it," he answered firmly. "I don't want it if I can't be with you."

He seemed so sure of this, it made me wonder how long he had felt this way.

"Your H—"

Before I could say anymore, he cupped my cheeks with his hands and tipped my head back, pressing his lips over mine. The way in which he carried this out told me he was determined and serious, yet soft and aching.

He pulled away, leaving an inch between our noses.

My head was spinning and I couldn't help but smile nervously. "What will happen now?"

"We'll figure it out, darlin'," a smirk pulled at his lips before he kissed my head.


End file.
